


Knife's Edge

by awaytobeunshaken



Series: A Million Reasons to Love You [4]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mirror Universe (Star Trek), Semi-Public Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:27:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29756835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awaytobeunshaken/pseuds/awaytobeunshaken
Summary: Stamets says he has it all figured out. But Culber knows his partner, and he can't help but to worry.Side story to DSC s3 ep 9 & 10 "Terra Firma"
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Mirror Hugh Culber/Mirror Paul Stamets
Series: A Million Reasons to Love You [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1283999
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Knife's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this separately to the rest of the S3 stuff because 1) it is a separate narrative after all, and 2) it, ah, got a bit smuttier than I intended (stupid, sexy mirrorverse).

Culber is walking through the corridor after the party, on his way back to his quarters to prepare for the evening’s ceremony, when an arm flies out from a maintenance alcove and pulls him into the darkened space. He mentally curses himself for letting his guard down, but adrenaline and his reflexes immediately kick in to allow him to recover. He twists free of the grasp, at the same time drawing his knife from its sheath to hold to the other person’s throat. His vision clears to see the mass of blond hair in front of him.

“Stamets!” he growls. He lowers the knife but tightens his hold, pressing himself against Stamets’ back and trapping Stamets’ leg with his own. “I could have killed you. Should have, really.”

“I want you. Need you.”

He trails the tip of the knife down Stamets’ cheek, not quite hard enough to draw blood. “You went too hard with the agonizer, got yourself all worked up,” he coos. “Not a good way to be when you’re planning something.”

“Why do you think I’m planning something?”

“You’re nervous.” He lifts the knife away and begins to stroke the edge of the blade along Stamets’ jawline. “I can tell. You’re being sloppy. And I doubt it has anything to do with your performance later.”

“I have it under control.”

“You don’t even have yourself under control,” Culber hisses. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Stamets shifts his hips, pressing against Culber’s forming erection. “There is a plan,” he says. “It’s going to be just fine. But you’re right; maybe I could use something to calm me down.”

Culber transfers the knife to his left hand and slides his right under Stamets’ armor, sliding the zipper of his uniform down. “What are you doing? Your quarters are right around the corner.” 

“Oh, we could go there. But I doubt I’d be finished with you in time for the ceremony.” He can hear Stamets’ breath catch as he reaches the bottom of the zipper and dips a hand below the waistband of his briefs. “We’re hidden well enough.” He begins to stroke the hard shaft as Stamets pants against him with both fear and pleasure. Then he stops, and Stamets lets out a muffled whine. “But what are you planning, dear? I know there’s a plot against the Emperor; I hope you’re not getting mixed up in all that.” Stamets squirms, but Culber has loosened his grip significantly by this point and he knows it’s just for show. “Please answer me, darling. You know I’m just looking out for you.”

“Yes and no,” Stamets manages to gasp. “I mean her no harm.”

“Interesting,” Culber begins to work his hand along Stamets’ cock again, more slowly this time. Teasing. “It sounds like you’re trying to play both sides. Maybe I  _ should  _ take you back to my quarters. I don’t know that she’s safe with you around.”

“If I tell you, will you fucking finish?” 

“It increases the odds.”

“I’m supposed to make an attempt against her, she fights me off, and it draws the real conspirators out.”

“Doesn’t sound very safe,” Culber scoffs. “More like she’s using you as bait.” He lets his hand rest, his fingers lightly tickling Stamets’ skin.

Stamets is fighting to control his breathing, and Culber can hear the desperation in his breath as he struggles to focus his thoughts. “Safest place to be,” he pants. “If the coup fails, Georgiou knows I helped her put it down. If it succeeds, they think I was with them the whole time.” 

“Too risky.” Culber resumes the motion of his hand, faster now. They’re about done here. “She could just kill you once you’re no longer useful. A double agent can’t really be trusted by either side.”

“She won’t,” Stamets gasps. “She... needs me... for her precious pala-- oh, god, oh, Hugh, Hugh...” The last utterance of Culber’s name is almost a whine, and Stamets collapses against him as he comes. Culber keeps his arm around his lover, supportive now rather than confining, until he senses that Stamets’ legs are ready to hold him again. “Fuck,” Stamets mutters, half in irritation, half in post-orgasmic bliss. “I’m gonna need to change before the ceremony. And that doesn’t leave much time for you.”

“It can wait.” As much as Culber craves the feel of Stamets’ lips around him, he would definitely prefer to let him take his time. So instead he pulls Stamets close again, this time facing him, and kisses him deeply, moaning as he feels Stamets’ tongue exploring his own, and imagining how that tongue will feel on him later. He pulls away, and only then, for a moment, does he let the mask fall. “Just be careful,” he pleads as he releases Stamets and walks away.

Culber keeps his eyes on the stage throughout the reading, frowning. As good as Stamets looks up there, as much as the sound of his voice makes Culber squirm with anticipation, the words themselves are an affront to his ears. He normally admires the Emperor’s taste in art, but she unsurprisingly has a bit of a blind spot when she’s the subject. 

When the performance has ended, the Emperor takes the stage. Culber gives her the customary salute, but otherwise he keeps his eyes fixed on Stamets. He looks truly proud of his work, as the mycelial sun of the Charon is framed in Emperor Georgiou’s crown, but as she launches into her speech, he starts to fidget with something behind his back. A bit obvious, perhaps, but if this is all an act it hardly matters. 

The knife is at his side now, as he creeps closer, but before he has a chance to lift it, Georgiou spins and plunges her own blade into his neck. A hush falls over the auditorium now, everyone glancing around, waiting for someone else to reveal themselves as part of the opposition. Culber’s own eyes dart around, then return to Stamets’ form lying on the stage, blood pooling beneath him. If this is part of the ruse, then it’s convincing. He stays in his seat, waiting, until finally Burnham jumps up, and they all swear, or at least claim, their loyalty.

And when he can finally go to Stamets, it’s as he thought. He truly had been nothing but bait, disposable, a pawn for Georgiou to toss aside once she had what she wanted from him. Culber’s loyalties are his own, and he’ll place them where they’re deserved. But he’s willing to take his time. So when he’s asked to prepare a stimulant for Burnham (“She’s not getting out of this by passing out,” Tilly hisses as she gives the order), he includes a concoction to dull the pain of the agonizers. The cell is far too closely monitored for him to risk speaking even in a whisper, but he hopes this is enough to let her know that when the time comes, he’s on her side. Georgiou took something special from him. And for that, she’ll pay. 


End file.
